Cookbooks Worth Waiting for in 2024 Part 1

After deciding on what I thought were the best cookbooks of 2023, it’s now time to look ahead to the cookbooks that are soon to hit our shelves in 2024. 

These cookbooks worth waiting for lists are my way of saying ‘these are the upcoming releases I am most excited about’. I’m not sure if there is a more succinct way of describing that or a more succinct title this series could have, but I’m a few years in now and it seems a bit odd to consider changing it now!

Below are the books I think are worth waiting for, and that I am most excited about. Four of the five books are by cookbook authors I know and love, and one is a new to me author which I am keen to discover more about. 

Are there any cookbooks you are looking forward to this year? What would you add to this list?

What Can I Bring by Sophie Hansen (February 27) - It’s no secret I love all of Sophie’s books, and her blog too. In my household we use Sophie’s books and recipes regularly so I am always excited to see what a new book from her will bring. There is something about Sophie’s recipes and her use of flavour and ingredients, that so often end up being exactly the kind of food I want to eat and cook. There is always a focus on fresh seasonal ingredients, but also not making things overly complicated and fussy. And Sophie’s photography always makes me want to cook everything and also wish I lived in the country! This soon to be released book is Sophie’s fifth book and it appears to be a bright, colourful and inviting look at how to answer the age old question when being invited or inviting others to your home for a meal, what can I bring?

Beatrix Bakes Another Slice by Natalie Paull (March 6) - Well this is a bit exciting isn’t it?! Another book from Natalie of the ever popular and much missed Melbourne bakery Beatrix. Natalie’s first book contains favourites from her famed bakery, and many of them were what I would consider ‘baking projects’. The kinds of recipes that feel comforting and homely, however have many elements (e.g. cake, filling and icing), so you need to put a decent amount of time aside to make them or tackle it in stages. I’m not sure if this is something we should expect from Beatrix Bakes Another Slice, or if this next cookbook will also contain a few more simple bakes that can be made with little notice or time (I have my fingers crossed for a few more biscuit recipes than the last book had). Either way, I’ll be ensuring I add this book to my collection as if I want to make a spectacular cake with lots of flavour Natalie is who I know I should turn to. 

Bethlehem by Fadi Kattan (May 17) - As soon as I saw this cookbook listing in the ‘coming soon’ section of Booktopia, I knew it was one I would be interested in. As I have mentioned before, I love cookbooks that do a deep dive on a particular place/region/cuisine and Bethlehem sounds like it does just that. This book is by Franco-Palestinian chef Fadi Kattan, whom I had never heard of until now and I am very glad that I now have. Fadi will take us on a tour of Bethlehem, his home where he also has a restaurant. I know only a little about Palestinian food based on some cookbooks already on my shelves, so I am looking forward to learning more and discovering how or if the food of Bethlehem differs from other Palestinian cuisine. Despite being a tiny thing in the scheme of everything, this feels, now more than ever, so important.

Greek-ish by Georgina Hayden (April 30) - If Georgina is publishing a cookbook I will be buying it. Georgina’s cookbooks are used regularly in our household (Taverna most notably), so I know if she comes out with a new one it has to be added to our collection. These recipes are touted as Greek inspired, using fewer ingredients and suitable for any day of the week, which sounds pretty good to me! Georgina says these recipes aren’t family recipes (for those get yourself a copy of Taverna), but are all of her creation using her Greek-Cypriot heritage and travels as inspiration. Just seeing the small examples of recipes featured in this book on the description on Booktopia for this book, I can tell there will a few more family favourites found in Greek-ish. 

I’ll Bring Dessert by Benjamina Ebuehi (April 5) - I absolutely love Benjamina’s previous two books (The New Way to Cake and A Good Day to Bake), so similarly to a few others on this list, I will be buying whatever Benjamina publishes. This book will focus on desserts rather than more strictly baked goods as Benjamina’s previous two books have. I’ll Bring Dessert feels like it will be a dessert focused version of what Sophie Hansen is bringing us with What Can I Bring?, and I’m thinking the two books will compliment each other well. With this book Benjamina hopes to turn the sometimes ominous question of ‘can you bring dessert?’ into a joyful experience that will have you saying ‘I’ll bring dessert!’. In Benjamina’s other books I have really enjoyed her use of flavour combinations and interesting ingredients and pairings, so I’m hoping we’ll see the same in this one. 

Links to books on Booktopia removed 15/07/2024.

The Best Cookbooks of 2023

This yearly list of mine could probably be renamed to ‘My Favourite Books of [insert year]’ as that’s really what this is. I’m obviously not comparing all cookbooks that were released in 2023, only the ones I personally own that were released last year. My tastes in food, flavour and cookbooks, as well as my knowledge of what’s out there across varying markets, obviously limits what books I will personally purchase in any given year and therefore what might make this kind of list. 

Lots of great cookbooks were released in 2023, and this is a small selection of them. This list comprises the books that have captured me the most from last year and I can’t stop thinking or talking about. If I added everything I really wanted the list would be ridiculously long and since brevity is not my strong suit when writing, I limit myself to around five books to avoid writing too many essay length blog posts 🤣. Though if you do want more cookbook chat paid subscribers to my newsletter get even more of that! You can sign up here if you’d like to.

I’ll be back next week with the first instalment of Cookbooks Worth Waiting for in 2024, but for now lets round out 2023, another great year for cookbooks!

The Plain Cake Appreciation Society by Tilly Pamment - To say I love this book is an understatement. A cookbook has not captivated me so much in a long time. Yes, I adore other cookbooks. But something about Tilly’s book keeps me coming back and actually baking from it. For me whether I have made lots or nothing from a cookbook isn’t necessarily an indication of how good the book is - cookbooks can be useful and worthy of a place on our bookshelves for more reasons than how many recipes have been cooked out of it. However, with this book it does feel like something to mention, as so few baking focused cookbooks have drawn me in so completely and actually had me baking multiple things from them in a long time.

As I’ve mentioned previously, the photography and styling is stunning in this book, combined with the colour palette used it really draws me in and I think makes me want to try the recipes even more. Since I last spoke about this book, the Raspberry-Studded Tea Bars (p.36) have been on high rotation in our household. I think we’ve made them at least half a dozen times since September 2023. We use a friand tin as I don’t have a suitable bar tin to use, and after the first batch decided to omit the ground up tea in the recipe which makes them even simpler to make. We often have a batch in the freezer as they freeze well, and make a great gluten free, lactose free, low fodmap treat (which is why we started making them in the first place). I highly recommend this recipe and so many others from The Plain Cake Appreciation Society! 

Portico by Leah Koenig - This was a long awaited release for me, as I recipe tested for this book back in 2021 (and I am doing the same for Leah’s next book!). I really like the story and the history Leah weaves through this book, which places a spotlight on Rome’s longstanding Jewish community and the food that has shaped their lives and history in such a well known culinary city as Rome. I personally really love a cookbook that does a deep dive on a particular city, area or community so Portico helps add to my collection and knowledge on Italian and Jewish cuisines in a way that shows their similarities and differences. This is done in a way that has seriously added to my recipes I want to try list, though I can highly recommend the Fennel Gratin (p.79) as this is a recipe I tested back on 2021 and loved. It’s different to a traditional gratin as there is no cream in the recipe, which is great if you are lactose intolerant or just don’t like creamy things like me. And if you love arancini, you should try the Mozzarella-Stuffed Risotto Fritters (p.140-1) also known as Suppli al Telefono as they are like the Roman Jewish cousin to arancini!

Recipes in the Mail by Amy Minichiello* - After hosting the Sydney launch of this book with Amy, I feel I can call her a friend, so my thoughts on this cookbook may be a little biased. However if you have an interest in old fashioned family recipes and connecting with the stories around those recipes you must add this book to your collection. This book has so much heart and soul, it feels like a personal invitation from Amy to join her in discovering and baking these recipes. And if you have met Amy, you’ll know that’s exactly how she is in person too. I think everyone who attended the Afternoon Tea we hosted back in August 2023 would agree (you can read more about the event and how the book came about here). The recipes in this cookbook mostly fall into the baking category with a couple of exceptions, where recipes fit for dinner are also included.

In preparation for the Afternoon Tea Amy and I hosted, we made many recipes from the book and I was able to try a few too. Standouts were Ma Lyn’s Fruit Slice (p.71) which I have made since then too, Nanna Joy’s Sausage Rolls (p.151-2) which I have also made again since the Afternoon Tea, and showing my bias completely now, I would also say my Grandma’s Pavlova (the recipe for which I shared with Amy when the Recipes in Mail project was not yet a book) with Amy’s addition of a creamy strawberry topping (p.46-7) was also a standout. Since then, one recipe has become a clear favourite for me, and that is Catherine’s Grandma’s Pikelets (p.22). In October 2023 I think I made these every week, and have made them so many times since then as well. To me they are the perfect breakfast, and any leftovers will keep in the fridge for 2-3 days ready to be heated up and topped with fruit and maple syrup (my personal topping preference) for another breakfast.

*my copy of this book was gifted to me by Amy as I contributed a recipe that was included in the book. There is no link to where this book can be bought as at the time of writing, I could not find anywhere that had it in stock (except for a $80+ copy via Amazon that would be shipping from the USA). I have seen it in some bookshops recently (Dec 23/Jan 24) Dymocks Chatswood and Novella Fine Books in Wahroonga (both in Sydney), however I would recommend asking your local/favourite bookshop if they can order it for you. Edit 26/02/24 - To find books such as Recipes in the Mail in local bookshops, use https://yourbookstore.io to find your nearest stockist or one that can ship to you, thank you to Kelly for alerting me to this great way of supporting our local bookshops online.

The Flavour Thesaurus More Flavours by Niki Segnit- A running theme you may notice about some the cookbooks I talk about in lists like this one is my appreciation for research and the work that an author does to really provide an educational element to their work. This new instalment of The Flavour Thesaurus is a massive work of research, and like the first book, this research provides so much to any one who likes cooking and wants to understand food and flavour more. I am mostly enjoying the complementary nature of The Flavour Thesaurus More Flavours with the original Flavour Thesaurus, as the second instalment continues on with the more flavours researched and explained in the same style as Niki’s first book. Between the two books there is a wealth of knowledge to work with when learning about how to pair flavour together, and The Flavour Thesaurus More Flavours included flavours I had hoped I would find in the first one but were not included. This is a great book for anyone interested in cooking beyond recipes, or like me, does recipe development work.  

Malta by Simon Bajada - As mentioned above I love a book that does a deep dive on a particular place, cuisine or area so Malta immediately appealed to me. It also appealed to me as I knew basically nothing about Malta or Maltese cuisine and felt my cookbook collection could benefit from a book like this. The photography is really stunning, and between the food images and location images the reader gets a really great feel for Maltese food and a taste of what Malta would be like to visit. It looks sunny, hot and has a very Mediterranean vibe that made me feel like I was on a mini holiday looking at all the photos. 

The introductory section has a really good overview of Malta, Maltese history and how Malta’s geographic location and geography itself have influenced Maltese cuisine over time. Of course the brevity means there would be so much more to discover and learn, but it is a great starting point if you like me, know little about Malta and Maltese cuisine. 

Links to books on Booktopia removed 15/07/2024

Cookbooks Worth Waiting For in 2023 Part 2 - A Recap

What a lovely stack of books! 

The second half of this year has produced some great new cookbooks, and these were my picks for the best and those worth waiting for - surely I am not the only one who counts down the weeks to cookbook releases?! 

Below are my thoughts on each book, they are all quite different but all worthy of their place on this list and on my shelf (maybe yours too?). My original thoughts on these books can be read here, plus you can catch up on past Cookbooks Worth Waiting For lists here as well.

Please let me know in the comments below if you have added any of these new releases to your cookbook collection, and what you thought of them!

The links provided are just for your reference. Links to books on Booktopia removed 15/07/2024.

The Plain Cake Appreciation Society by Tilly Pamment (July 2023) - I knew I would like this book. I was not prepared for how much I like it! The Plain Cake Appreciation Society is probably my favourite new release for the whole of 2023. This book is equal parts fantastic recipes and beautiful styling, photography and design. It feels like a warm hug, a comfort on busy or hard days, and gives a sense of Tilly’ warm gentle demeanour throughout. 

The Plain Cake Appreciation Society follows on from a series Tilly started on Instagram where she shared a recipe a week, and called it The Plain Cake Appreciation Society. These cakes weren’t the three day project extravaganza type cakes, but more simple homely, yet very flavoursome cakes one wants to eat with a cup of tea most days of the week. These are the kinds of cakes I like to bake and eat, so this book has only increased the number of recipes I want to bake for that mid-week tea and cake moment. 

Tea and flowers are taken very seriously in this book (as they should be), and each recipe comes with a suggestion for what tea to serve with the cake and what flowers might best accompany the cake. The combination of these elements, along with the gorgeous photography and styling, create a calm inspirational feeling that allows the reader (or baker) to know a nice cake (which despite the title of the book are really anything but plain - the flavours used will satisfy even the most complex of palettes), a moment of calm and a cup of tea are never far away. 

I have tried a few recipes from the book, and I am planning an Off the Shelf post in the near future to go through all of them in more detail. So far the stand out has been the Quince and Blackberry Cake (p.108-10) which comes with the recipe for poached quince (I told you the recipes were full of flavour!). The cake has a brown butter crumble which is genuinely the best and most delicious crumble I have ever tasted. The brown butter flavour really comes through and the short amount of time taken to brown the butter really is worth it. 

This is definitely a book for the bakers in your life (or yourself?!), I don’t recommend baking books all the time since I find so many of them are offering the same thing, or don’t feel like they have a really unique voice that really interests me beyond the baking books I already have. Tilly’s The Plain Cake Appreciation Society is the antithesis of this, and I am overjoyed to say it deserves a place on your bookshelf.

Portico: Cooking and Feasting in Rome’s Jewish Kitchen by Leah Koenig (September 2023) - This book really lives up to the ‘cookbooks worth waiting for’ element of this series! As wait I have! Sometimes cookbook titles from the US take a while to get here, and the release date for this book was changed so many times I had serious fears I would not get this book until early 2024. Thankfully Portico is now available in Australia (it can be around $60AUD so have a look around for the best price), and I can now relax knowing this wonderful book is at my fingertips at a moments notice. 

As I mentioned a few months ago in the original post for this list, I did some recipe testing for this book back in 2021 and enjoyed all the recipes I made. I can now finally say that everything else in the book looks amazing too! As I thought, this book has a very different take on Roman cuisine and opens up so many more dishes to try from the Jewish community of Rome outside of what we might first think of when considering the food of Rome. 

I really enjoyed reading Leah’s introduction to the book, where she explains her connection to Roman Jewish cuisine and the impact it had on her. The brief explanation of Roman Jew’s 2000 year history in Rome was also a fascinating read, and reading Leah’s writing on the Ghetto in Rome and seeing the photos taken by Kristin Teig, brings back great memories of my last trip to Rome many years ago. A friend and I made sure to visit the Ghetto and Via del Portico d’Ottavia and we ate fried artichoke and sampled matzah as our side to our meal (rather than some kind of bread). We took a tour of the Tempio Maggiore di Roma, and I now lament we didn’t know about the bakery that sells their famous Pizza Ebraica - a biscuit (not an actual pizza!) filled with dried fruit and nuts. Luckily Leah has a recipe for it on page 273.  

Along with Pizza Ebraica I am very much looking forward to trying the Lemony Almond Cake (p.286), Stuffed Tomatoes with Rice (p.174-5) and the Whole Roasted Fish with Raisins and Pine Nuts (p.211). This is a book that is well worth adding to your shelf if you love Italian food and are keen to learn more and widen your understanding of more types of food from Italy. 

Garlic, Olive Oil and Everything Else by Daen Lia (August 2023) - Daen’s first foray into cookbook writing is a fun look into her tasty cooking style, using lots of garlic and olive oil! These recipes are tasty and seem to be full of flavour. I really feel Daen’s cooking style translates beyond the world of TikTok and into our kitchens with recipes that are beyond trends, but are just good. I’d suggest Daen’s recipes maybe even suit this more traditional format better, as people picking up this book probably wouldn’t have an issue with the use of olive oil, salt or insert other random thing Daen has been criticised for on TikTok for - my only conclusion is those people aren’t really into food and don’t ‘get’ it? 

Daen’s Spanish and Italian heritage really shine through in this book, and if like me you love the style of food and ingredients used in those cuisines, you’ll love this book. I hope we see more of this kind of format from Daen in the future, this book did feel like there could have been more (in terms of recipes, it’s quite a thin book despite it’s slightly larger size overall) and I’m hoping it’s just a first taste of what will we seen from Daen. 

We have already tried the Pan-Fried Salmon with Cherry Tomato Confit (p.66), and I’m thinking I will need to make some of Daen’s Focaccia (p.96-99) and use the leftover Cherry Tomato Confit to top the foccacia! I really like the look of many of Daen’s seafood recipes, the One-Pan Roasted Fish Puttanesca (p.68) is high on my ‘to cook’ list, along with the Whole Roasted Snapper with Green Anchovy Butter (p.91). And I wouldn’t be getting the full Daen’s Kitchen experience if I didn’t make Confit Garlic (p.14)!

Gohan: Everyday Japanese Cooking by Emiko Davies (October 2023) - This book gives us a more personal glimpse into Emiko’s food history and influences in a way we haven’t before. I love Emiko’s Italian cookbooks, but this one is even more personal to Emiko as she has finally been able to share the Japanese side of her food self. We are so fortunate that she has, as this book feels deeply personal, and also really informative. I love the illustrated cover and those dotted throughout the book, and how Emiko has brought her trademark writing style to this book. In a similar style to Emiko’s previous cookbooks, this is a book you could just as easily curl up and read as cook from in your kitchen. 

The recipes range from basics like how to cook rice, and make staples like panko breadcrumbs and pickled ginger, to breakfast dishes, whole meals and recipes that have been influenced by more Western cooking styles and ingredients that have become popular in Japan over the years. 

These recipes are bound by the meaning behind the title of the book, Gohan. Gohan literally translates to ‘rice’ but as Emiko explains, when she spoke to her mother about naming the book this, her mother said that Gohan embodied the idea of an everyday home cooked meal, that wasn’t fussy yet was nourishing. “‘I think the best food is created when you cook for someone love’” said Emiko’s mum Sumie, and I think that, the connection to family via food (both past and present) and a connection to a place, really sums up not only this book but maybe a running theme of Emiko’s work more generally. 

I am looking forward to making some Pickled Ginger (p.35), learning how to properly steam rice (p.80-81), try my hand at Japanese Milk Bread (p.221-2) and continue to read more of Emiko’s writing in this book and learn more about her, her family and Japanese food and ingredients generally. 

Now and Then by Tessa Kiros (October 2023)* - If you have any of Tessa’s other cookbooks you will know her trademark style. The beautiful design, and use of pattern, the colourful ribbon bookmark and the recipes influenced by her life and family or travels. 

Each chapter focuses on recipes influenced by a place or time in Tessa’s life (now or then). The recipes vary a lot, and in any other context might not make sense as a whole. But since this book is part cookbook part memoir for Tessa, it makes sense because it is her story. Many of Tessa’s books remind me of scrapbooks (albeit fancy scrapbooks!), and this one is no different. I can’t help but think Tessa must have a big say in the design process as this book has many personal touches, but also such a different style to many other cookbooks around. 

The use of colour in the book is calm and inviting, as are the photographs throughout the book. Now & Then is a book you might buy for the beauty of it and the personal touches and story. Or for someone who is interested in peoples lives, the food that enriches them and beautiful things generally. I am looking forward to trying the Gingerbread (p.50) and the Pistachio Biscuits (p.381).

*This book was gifted to me by Murdoch Books, with the expectation a review would be written. All opinions are my own, and I would have purchased this book myself if it had not been gifted to me.

Off The Shelf - 'Love is A Pink Cake' by Claire Ptak

Bought at: Pre-ordered via Amazon

Recipes Made: Blondie Peanut Butter Cookies p.29, Sticky Toffee Date Pudding p.77 and Pear Eve’s Pudding p.81

Blondie Peanut Butter Cookies (made with crema di pistachio)

Since I cannot eat any peanut products, I made the Blondie Peanut Butter Cookies with crema di pistachio instead. This substitution didn’t really work unfortunately. As you can see in the photo, the cookies turned out flat as pancakes and some of them struggled to cook through properly. Maybe I could try this again with pistachio butter instead, but possibly it’s better to move on to a recipe that doesn’t contain peanuts and need a substitution at all! I’m sure they are good made as they are intended to be!

Sticky Toffee Date Pudding

The first time I made the Sticky Toffee Date Pudding I also made the sauce for the pudding as well as I had all the ingredients needed for it. The sauce is quite different to any I have made before as an accompaniment to a sticky date pudding, and it was probably a little rich for my tastes (2 cups of double cream in a recipe will do that!). The sauce was nice, but I found the pudding almost didn’t need it. The pudding was light, and did not dry out even when I kept it in the fridge. Once reheated it was soft and pillowy and was very delicious on it’s own (which is how I ate it the second time I made this), or with some ice cream. I will definitely be making this again as it was very easy to make and can be made in advance.

Edit 24/07/2023 - I have since found that the Sticky Toffee Date Pudding was nice without the sauce and didn’t dry out in the fridge because I somehow did not read the recipe properly either time I made it! The recipe says to drain the dates once they have been soaked in water, I did not do this so the texture of my pudding was very different - though very nice and much more to my tastes than the original recipe made as intended as it turns out. I would personally continue to make it with the water in. The recipe with the water from the dates drained, definitely needs some kind of sauce (whether or not it is the one from this recipe or another you have made before and liked). Made as per the recipe in this book, the pudding is too dry and dense to eat on its own - though nice with a sauce! So really you can choose your own adventure on this one!

Sticky Toffee Date Pudding

My Mum made the Pear Eve’s Pudding not long after I got this book, and I was a little skeptical as apart from sticky date pudding I’m not a massive fan of pudding. This pudding was great though, and the leftovers reheated really well. It was quite a cake-like pudding, and the top crisped up nicely similar to how some cakes can be when they first come out of the oven. There aren’t too many ingredients in this recipe, but it was still delicious and had a nice flavour. Another recipe to be made again!

Favourite Things About the Book: I really love the look and feel of this book. The photography, style of recipes and flavour used really feel like what I’ve come to love from Claire’s books. I love her book ‘The Violet Bakery’, and this book feels like a extension of that but with it’s own distinct differences too. The book is divided into two main sections, California and England, the two places Claire is connected to and influenced by the most. Within those sections recipes are then divided by Mornings, Afternoons, After a Meal, Party Party and Savouries and Holiday Treats (with a pastry section at the end of the book too). 

Claire has a really unique way of baking, that to me doesn’t feel distinctly American or English (though I would definitely associate her recipes with more English style baking if I had to choose). It has a focus on ingredients that I don’t associate with American style baking, yet a individual way of putting flavour together that I wouldn’t associate with traditional English baking either. It’s interesting and diverse, and doesn’t feel like so many other baking cookbooks that can start to feel all a bit the same. Even if you own previous cookbooks from Claire, I think there is still something new to be discovered here. 

Bookmarked Recipes (to make later!): Big Sur Cookies p.27, Pistachio Green Plum Cake with Candied Violets p.47, Lemon Meringue Pie Bars p.55, Poached Pear Pavlova p.76, Nectarine and Cherry Cobbler p.147 and English Angel Cake p.168.

Off The Shelf - 'Sweet Enough' by Alison Roman

Bought at: My copy was gifted to me by HardieGrant*. 

Recipes Made: Old-Fashioned Strawberry Cake p.91, Plummy Pudding p.146, Salted Pistachio Shortbread p.173 and Cheesy Salty Savoury Scones p.258.

Old Fashioned Strawberry Cake

I made the Old-Fashioned Strawberry Cake and substituted the buttermilk for plain yoghurt mixed with some milk (I did not have any buttermilk, but needed to use the yoghurt up). I don’t know if it was my substitution, but the cake was dense. I usually find swapping yoghurt and buttermilk easy in baking, and won’t notice any difference. I know lots of people have made this cake, but it definitely wasn’t a favourite for me. I later made this cake with strawberries, and enjoyed it infinitely more.

Plummy Pudding

I don’t make puddings often, but since plum season was coming to an end, I decided to try the Plummy Pudding. In the recipe notes Alison says it’s “near impossible to mess up this pudding”, but maybe I did? I found it rubbery and very eggy, maybe I cooked it too long? A lot of the oven temperatures in this book tend towards the high side, and since our oven runs hot I usually feel the stipulated temperatures will be too much. In this case, maybe turning the oven temperature down meant cooking it longer which possibly wasn’t right. Either way, this one wasn’t for me. Whether the recipe just wasn’t my thing, or just puddings generally aren’t my thing, maybe we’ll never know. 

Salted Pistachio Shortbread

The first recipe I made out of ‘Sweet Enough’ was the Salted Pistachio Shortbread. Mostly because I am a pistachio obsessive, and I also had all the ingredients needed when the book arrived. Out of all the recipes I’ve tried in this book, I did like this one. I could have done without the sprinkling of salt over the top of the shortbread as it just took it too a slightly too salty place for me, but otherwise it was nice. The shortbread dough itself was quite different to others I am used to, it was very wet and definitely could only be pressed into a tin as this recipe does. It could not be rolled out and cut into shapes like the shortbread I normally make. This made it a crumbly shortbread to eat, but very satisfying all the same. 

Cheesy Salty Savoury Scones (before baking)

After trying some of the above sweet recipes and not being blown away, I decided the magic of this book for me may lie in the handful of savoury recipes dotted throughout ‘Sweet Enough’. After watching Alison’s Home Movies episode on scones, I decided to make the Cheesy Salty Savoury Scones. I must caveat this with I think American scones and British scones are almost two different things. In the episode everything Alison said she disliked about scones, were basically all the things that make a traditional British scone, a scone. These scones are very heavy on fat (double cream, sour cream, butter and a lot of cheese). I’m not at all saying this is a bad thing in and of itself as fat is essential to baking and cooking generally. In this case however, it did make the scones very rich. To the point they really didn’t need any butter or other spread on them. It just would have been too much. 

The fat heavy mix also meant these scones don’t rise as much as you would expect a traditional scone to, and they were definitely less flakey as well. I liked the very cheesy flavour of these, but that’s all I could taste. I used spring onions in the mix and they were lost, along with the dill, to the cheese. Considering the richness of the whole thing, I also thought the scones could have been a but smaller in size (maybe also as I’m accustomed to British style scones). These were nice, but I felt I could use some of the aspects of this recipe to make my own more traditional version that suited my tastes more (which I have done in a way here). 

Cheesy Salty Savoury Scones

Favourite Things About the Book: Ok, by this point it may not have escaped your notice that I don’t love this book. I know, I’m a bit sad about it too, but also not 100% surprised. I’ve always loved Alison’s recipes, but more specifically her savoury recipes. There are many from ‘Nothing Fancy’ in particular that we make regularly in our family, and I frequent those shared in her newsletter (a newsletter) and her YouTube channel Home Movies often. So this isn’t a ‘Alison Roman’s recipes just isn’t for me’ thing - most certainly not! This is more of a ‘I don’t love Alison’s baking recipes as much as her other recipes’ thing. It’s not that they aren’t good. They just aren’t for me. I am a self confessed sweet tooth, so something that is ‘sweet enough’ may not actually be sweet enough for me. I also don’t love adding salt to my baked goods (shock horror!) so some of these recipes were too salty for me. 

However, as always, I love Alison’s writing. I really enjoy her trademark humorous tone, and very realistic approach to things. I really enjoyed reading what Alison had to say about baking in this book, even if the recipes themselves don’t take my fancy as much. The introduction was great and definitely worth a read (anyone else often skip those first few pages?!).The pages on what Alison loves and hates about baking (pp.52-3) was my favourite part of the whole book, as it’s so relatable. Alison isn’t trying to make out like baking is always easy and that it’s for everyone (though I think Sweet Enough will appeal to those less inclined to check out more traditional baking/dessert books), and is honest about the process. I think many will relate to that.

Bookmarked Recipes (to make later!): Raspberry Ricotta Cake p.118, Tomato Tart pp.76-7 and Caramelised Onion and Anchovy Tart p.71. 

* This gift came with no obligation to talk about the book, and my opinions are my own. And honestly, I love Alison Roman so I would have bought this book myself anyway!

Cookbooks Worth Waiting For in 2023 - Part Two!

We are almost halfway through the year, which means there are more new cookbook releases on the way for us! 

There are so many cookbooks I am interested to see in the second half of this year. However the below titles are the ones I will buy or preorder without having a look through first as I am that sure I will like them. 

As always this list a bit of a mixed bag, some come from cookbook writers whose previous works I have loved and others are first time cookbook authors whose transition from the internet world of cooking I am keen to see translated into our ever favourite recipe format, the cookbook. 

Links are there for your reference (not sponsored or anything), and I suggest searching around for the best price as at the time of writing some of these titles are quite pricey (we can only hope it goes down closer to their release date?!). 

To read my first Cookbooks Worth Waiting for List for this year click here, and to read the recap of that list click here.

Let me know in the comments below if you are looking forward to any of these books as well, or if there are others you have on your list. 

1. The Plain Cake Appreciation Society by Tilly Pamment (July 2023) - The first book to be released from this list in early July is Tilly’s (of @tillystable) first foray into cookbook writing. I am really excited to see this one, as I’m sure many of you are as well. Tilly’s well known aesthetic is equal parts beautiful and delicious and to see it, along with her recipes, in a cookbook is something I am very excited about. Tilly has not just written this book, but styled and shot the whole thing as well - no mean feat! I was lucky to get some ‘insider’ knowledge about this book recently, and I have been told there aren’t too many recipes using chocolate (which I can’t eat), which brings me a great sense of relief (thank you Angela!). Sometimes I open a new baking book to find it so chocolate heavy I know I will barely make anything out of the book. But to know I am in safe hands with Tilly makes me all the more excited to see her book in a few short weeks. 

2. Portico: Cooking and Feasting in Rome’s Jewish Kitchen by Leah Koenig (August 2023) - I have been looking forward to this book for what feels like a long time. Back in 2021 when the current pandemic kept us all at home, I was lucky to do some recipe testing for this book (along with lots of other people!). I made three dishes and loved all of them. I tried a fennel gratin, that had no cream in it, which I traditionally dislike in such dishes as I find them too rich. This gratin was so delicious I made it a couple more times. I also tested a chicken and celery dish that looked like it would be quite plain, but somehow definitely was not. The final recipe was a Roman Jewish version of arancini balls, which were delicious, if not slightly fiddly on top of making the risotto, but it was lockdown so I had time!

   I cannot wait to finally see the other recipes in this book and read what Leah has researched and discovered about Rome’s Jewish kitchen. The food of Jewish Rome (and Italy generally) is quite different to traditional Roman or Italian cuisine, due to the religious rules known as kashrut (to prepare and eat kosher food) - no pork and no dairy with meat is the very basic ‘gentile’ way of describing it (there’s really more to it, you can read more here for a better description). Pork is so widely used in all Italian cuisine, that it’s removal changes the cuisine entirely in my opinion - so this book is sure to have very different recipes than other Roman/Italian cookbooks, and I am very much looking forward to it after enjoying many of Leah’s previous books.

3. Garlic, Olive Oil and Everything Else by Daen Lia (August 2023) - Another first time cookbook author, Daen has flown to the top of the TikTok food scene and is now sharing her recipes in a cookbook. I am personally not a massive fan of recipe based Reels or TikTok (I don’t even use TikTok honestly), however discovering more about Daen, her recipes and food in an ‘old school’ format (i.e. a cookbook!) is something I can get behind. I really like Daen’s use of flavours, notably those that come from her Spanish and Italian heritage - like garlic and olive oil! - and while some on social media may criticise their use, I think these ingredients and Daen’s recipes will feel right at home in our cookbook loving part of the world. 

4. Gohan: Everyday Japanese Cooking by Emiko Davies (September 2023) - I think we all love Emiko, and her many books on Italian cuisine, however we are now finally seeing more of the food that Emiko grew up with and that is part of her food history rather than that of her current home in Italy. Emiko has spoken of how this book was a harder sell to publishers as they perceived a book on Japanese cuisine less ‘sellable’ than one on Italian, but I know I and many others are so glad this book is almost with us. I do not personally eat lot of Japanese food or ingredients generally, but I am keen to support this new book of Emiko’s as I know how much I love her previous ones. I know this book will be heartfelt, well researched and beautifully photographed as all her previous works are. And hopefully I will find some recipes that become unexpected favourites too. 

5. Now and Then by Tessa Kiros (October 2023) - A few years ago I made it my mission to expand my collection of Tessa’s books. I found some older titles on eBay, and even one I’d never heard of in Books for Cooks in Melbourne. So when I saw we would finally be getting a new book from Tessa (her last was published in 2016 I think), I knew it would make my cookbooks worth waiting for list. What I really like about Tessa’s cookbooks is they all have their own very unique story and often bring the reader along in some kind of discovery of a place, cuisine or Tessa’s family/family history. No two books of Tessa’s are the same, however all are beautiful and always have really thoughtful design elements that bring such a personal touch to each publication. The description of this book says it will be part memoir, travel guide and food odyssey and it feels like it will be a reflective piece filled with new recipes and memories. 

Links to books on Booktopia removed 15/07/2024.